


1% means i love you.

by lejf



Series: toppling tower [3]
Category: Homestuck
Genre: M/M, sorry lol
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-04-28
Updated: 2016-04-28
Packaged: 2018-06-04 20:38:09
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,043
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6674680
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lejf/pseuds/lejf
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Ninety nine.</p><p>Lost connection.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1% means i love you.

**Author's Note:**

> whos this person filling the ar/dirk tag with garbage

TT: There’s something I’ve noticed lately.  
TG: hmmm?  
TT: Rox, do you think AR could develop feelings for anybody?  
TG: well he defs had sumthing for jake at some point  
TT: And now he wants nothing more than to tear out Jake’s insides. I’m aware.  
TG: but it shows he cn love  
TG: butt  
TT: Maybe Jake. But me?  
TG: oh  
TG: oh ho ho h  
TG: ho  
TG: hooo  
TG: dirkkkkk  
TT: I’m sorry.  
TT: I shouldn’t have asked you about it. But out of you, Jake, and Jane, you have the best grasp of his personality, and I needed an outside opinion.  
TG: its fine dont worry  
TG: whats he been doin  
TT: It’s all layered in overtones and subtleties, which was what alerted me. AR prefers to be concise and to the point, but recently he’s grown increasingly shadowed.  
TT: He’s been… gentler. He doesn’t argue with me as often. Sometimes he looks for too long. Lingers in the doors.  
TG: well do you like him back?  
TT: I.  
TT: Don’t think I can answer that without hurting anyone.  
TT: Roxy. It’s not as simple as ‘do I like him.'  
TT: How encouraging to know that you two are gossiping about me like a pair of old hens.

He jerks into reality.

TT: AR?  
TT: I thought you were supposed to be scavenging, not chatting.  
TT: Shit. How are you accessing my private chats?  
TG: hes a better hacker thn you lol  
TT: I don’t think that should be your biggest concern right now, Dirk.  
TT: And what ought to be?

He’s tucked into a small alcove, taking a breather there where air’s been trapped. With AR’s words, he slips back in, into the world of the water, searching for any incoming threats. A looming shark. A hint of a killer lusus. There don’t seem to be any, but he supposes it’s an apt time to return home. He kicks off from a rusting pylon, stirring up debris in a small storm cloud, and light filters in from above to cast him in mock twilight. Nothing threatening presents itself as he drifts up through one world to another, kelp licking at his feet, fish scattering in colour bursts and arrays, and even when he breaks the surface he can’t see any whisper of danger on the horizon.

TT: I ask again, what precisely should be my main concern?

The swim back never feels like it takes long. There is a detached quality to the water, where he can lose himself in a life that isn’t his own. What these creatures must live like, in their flickers of existence, their flashes of _foodfearmate_.

By the time he’s made his way home, taken a shower and changed into the clothing AR had helpfully left in the bathroom, he’s aware the the building is strangely silent. Normally AR is catching birds or in the workshop, clinking metal and whirring.

There’s nothing. He would’ve seen if AR was on the roof when he came in, and a quick glance in the workshop reveals that the android has gone somewhere. Perhaps for a swim of his own?

TT: Where are you?  
TT: Come to your room.

He hears the tell-tale whirr when he approaches, though the sound is more hushed than usual. The door creaks open ominously slowly, and–

All the wires in AR’s head look like needles, tying and chaining him to Dirk’s laptop that’s flickering through some program alarmingly quickly. He sits at the foot of the desk. Head bowed.

The world narrows to a point. “What are you doing?”

No answer.

Crosses the room quickly, kneels, takes AR’s face to stare him in the eyes. His shades are in the way. He throws them aside. “What are you doing?” The android’s eyelids are fluttering.

His voice sounds tired. “I don’t know. Deleting.”

“Deleting what?” The laptop, deleting _something_. Strings of numbers. No cancel button. It’s at ninety percent.

Ninety one.

Ninety two.

“Deleting… I don’t quite recall. Just that it takes longer that I thought it would.” AR says. His head has slumped back down again.

Ninety three.

“A virus? Something else? Is it eating your memory or are you deleting it?”

Ninety four.

“You,” AR says quietly. “Deleting you. "

Dirk freezes, his heart stilled, eyes blowing wide. The world seems to stop. Everything. But not that progress bar. Ninety five. Ninety six. And for one terrifying moment he _hesitates_ , thinks that _it might just be easier if it’s gone_.

Ninety seven.

Ninety eight.

 _No_.

He rips out the cords in a mad whirlwind fury. Metalwork and scrap on his desk go crashing to the floor. He tears them out with savagery. How dare. How _dare_!

Ninety nine.

Lost connection.

He’s left there, panting, wires clutched in his hands, AR still tranced on the floor.

The next day AR doesn’t remember anything. Doesn’t leave Dirk’s clothes there in the shower before he departs in the morning out to the sea. Talks less often. Likes to entertain Roxy more and more. Doesn't find stupid excuses to touch Dirk's hands anymore. 

Dirk tells Roxy. Then he burns that pesterlog and wishes he didn’t lie. Wishes he just told her he’d _hesitated_.

TT: I should’ve known as soon as he butted into our conversation.  
TT: Connecting to my master computer like that lets you into my pesterlogs.  
TT: He must’ve planned that stunt for a long time.  
TG: dirk  
TT: Look, it’s fine, all right? I’m just in shock.  
TT: He did it so well. Everything else is still intact. I’m just thrown by the realisation that artificial intelligence really isn’t the same as a normal human brain, after all.  
TG: dirk  
TT: I've never felt snow, but I imagine it's quite like snow. Written on. Rewritten. Then wiped away with the swipe of a hand.  
TG: i think u knew that right from the start  
TT: Fuck.  
TT: Look, let’s just forget this. Forget he ever felt anything.

AR deleted his love just like that. 

And only then, when it’s gone, does Dirk realise he wished he could’ve done the same.

He lives on, cradling one percent in his heart like a spluttering candle, hoping –– one day –– that it'll grow back into its roar. 

**Author's Note:**

> there is an (alt) ending but not feeling inclined to publish that one
> 
> (alt) ending:  
> you can't delete love!  
> you're right. it was staged.  
> sorry, dirk.  
> AR just doesn't want to be known to be unrequited.  
> one day dirk will slip up and AR will double-take and then shag him into the floor. and lie. and say that 1% grew back. dirk will never know.
> 
> or y'know i could just end it here ambiguously.


End file.
